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Sonic Unleashed
NA: November 18, 2008 AUS: November 27, 2008 EU: November 28, 2008 JP: December 18, 2008 Xbox 360 NA: November 20, 2008 AUS: November 27, 2008 EU: November 28, 2008 JP: February 19, 2009 PlayStation 3 NA: December 9, 2008 AUS: December 18, 2008 EU: December 19, 2008 JP: February 19, 2009 Mobile phones PAL: June 4, 2009 | genre = Platformer, action-adventure, beat 'em up | modes = Single-player | director = Michael Bay Zack Snyder | producer = Kathleen Kennedy Frank Marshall Ian Bryce Lorenzo di Bonaventura Deborah Snyder | artist = Sachiko Kawamura | writer = David Henry Hwang Joss Whedon Ehren Kruger | composer = Hans Zimmer James Newton Howard }}Sonic Unleashed, released as Sonic World Adventure in Japan, is a 2008 video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team and Radical Entertainment, published by Sega, Activision in North America, Sierra Entertainment in International, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Konami and distributed by Activision Blizzard for multiple platforms. The game follows Sonic the Hedgehog Sr as he attempts to restore the world to normal after his nemesis, Revolver Ocelot (who betrayed and killed General Jehan Frollo). The game also focuses on Sonic Sr's 'werehog' form, which he gains during the beginning after coming into contact with the energy of Dark Gaia. Gameplay features two distinct styles, with each being played either during daytime or night-time. Daytime stages incorporate Sonic Sr's traditional platforming and trademark speed, with a combination of behind-the-back third-person viewpoints and 2D side-scroller platforming; gameplay seamlessly transitions between these two views. Night-time levels see Sonic Sr transform into the Werehog; gameplay slows down to accommodate greater platform play, and involves combat against waves of enemies using the Werehog's brute strength. The game's existence was first brought to light when Sega trademarked the Unleashed name, and shortly after, images and a gameplay video were leaked to the public in March 2008. Public anticipation for the game was high, owing to the video's demonstration of some two-dimensional gameplay, seen as a possible return to Sonic Sr's platforming roots. However, critical reception for the game was mixed, with reviewers praising certain elements, such as the sense of speed in daylight stages and the graphics and audio that make up the environments, and criticizing others, such as the new Werehog game mechanic, as well as several gameplay and design concepts. Many reviewers felt that Unleashed was ultimately not the title that would be able to reinvigorate the series. Sonic Unleashed was de-listed in 2010, following Sega's decision to remove all Sonic titles with average or lower Metacritic scores from sale in stores. Despite this, the game was released on the PlayStation Network in April 2014. Gameplay Sonic Unleashed is a platform game in which the player controls the titular Sonic the Hedgehog Sr in two modes: fast-paced levels that take place during daytime, showcasing Sonic's trademark speed as seen in previous games in the series, and slower, night-time levels, during which Sonic transforms into the Werehog, and gameplay switches to an action-based, brawler style of play, in which Sonic battles Gaia enemies (those created by the main enemy in the game, Dark Gaia). Each level takes place on a particular continent (i.e., London in Europe, Washington, D.C. and New York City in North America, Tanzania in Africa, Beijing in China, Antarctica, Cairo in Egypt, and Phillipines in Southeast Asia. In sections of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, the player may choose to advance the time of day in order to play as either Sonic or the Werehog; in the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions, time is advanced automatically. Daytime levels focus on Sonic's speed, and to this extent, sees the player control Sonic through fast-moving stages containing both 2D and 3D styles of gameplay. 2D sections are reminiscent of the Mega Drive/Genesis-era Sonic games, where the player controls Sonic Sr in a side-scrolling fashion, while 3D sections see the camera placed behind Sonic Sr, so the player may move in all directions. In addition to moves available in past games, such as the homing attack, new moves are also introduced. For instance, a new sidestep feature known as the Quick Step is available, allowing Sonic to dodge left and right, and a Drift feature, which allows Sonic to make tighter turns without slowing down. The game also features a gameplay mechanic previously used in the Sonic Rush series called the Sonic Boost, which greatly increases Sonic's speed, allowing him to smash through objects, destroy enemies instantly, or even access different level paths. In the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, an on-screen "Ring Energy" meter displays how much boost is available. The amount of boost remaining may be increased by collecting more rings, and is decreased by using the Boost. In contrast, the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions of the game represent available Boost using bars, which may be added by performing "Action Chains", destroying multiple enemies in quick succession through the use of homing attacks, or by collecting rings. Japanese game company Dimps helped design some of the stages. Nighttime levels feature slower-paced, action-oriented levels, in which Sonic transforms into the Werehog, a beast form that has great strength and stretchable arms. Gameplay here sees the player use a variety of melee and combo attacks to defeat large numbers of enemies, collect items, and move items around to advance through the level, and use his stretchable arms to cling to distant objects; simple puzzle elements are also featured. Collecting rings in these levels replenishes the Werehog's health, while a special move, Unleashed Mode, allows the Werehog to channel his energy into increasing the power of his attacks for a short time. Nighttime levels are adjusted in the Wii version to allow greater use of the Wii Remote, such that players may control the arms of the Werehog by using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in order to grab onto objects and proceed in the levels. The Wii version of the game also expands upon the ratio of nighttime levels to daytime, with more than three times as many nighttime levels (twenty-five in all). After nighttime levels are completed, Dark Gaia Points are gained, allowing access to bonus moves. In addition to these two gameplay types, Sonic Unleashed also features hubworlds, in which the player may reveal, as well as advance, the story of the game. Hubworlds operate differently depending on the version of the game being played; the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions feature fully interactive, explorable 3D hubworlds, similar to those in Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Adventure, in which townspeople may be interacted with and side quests may be undertaken, in order to gain experience or unlock items, such as artwork, videos and music tracks. In contrast, the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions feature menu-based map systems, in which players simply click on areas to talk to townspeople and find information. Within both day and nighttime levels are medals that Sonic may collect, two types of which exist: Sun and Moon. In the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, collecting these medals allows the player to level up Sonic's Sun and Moon stats, and these must be increased to reach new stages in the game, with a certain number of Sun medals for Hedgehog levels, and a certain number of Moon medals for Werehog levels. Because only the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions feature playable hubworlds, these are also the only versions in which Sun and Moon medals may be found by exploring the towns, talking to the citizens, and completing side quests. In the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions, Sun and Moon medals are earned after completing stages and clearing their objectives. The medals are used to open up doors in Gaia gates, which can earn bonus content. Plot Weeks had passed since Sonic Sr (voiced by Rob Lowe with Werehog voiced by Matt Lanter) freed Cynder (Young voiced by Mae Whitman and Adult with archive recordings by Yvette Nicole Brown) from the Dark Master's (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) control and brought her back to the New Dragon Temple in New York City in January 27, 2006. During that time period in December 25, 2007, he began to having recurring nightmares, one of them of his final battle against Cynder in Convexity while Ignitus saves Princess Elise to escape the exploding Russian base, until he was woken up by Sparx (voiced by Billy West) one night. When Sparx noted he could finally sleep due to Cynder leaving the temple, Sonic Sr followed after her. Sonic Sr trailed Cynder through the Los Angeles Streets surrounding the old Dragon Temple and caught up to her; he asked her that she's not guilty for taking over the world 90 years ago. Despite Sonic Sr's plea, instead he dropped out the charges against humanity for treason by the United States Government and released Cynder to go to Central Park thus Cynder's not guilty, saying she didn't want to cause pain and suffering to anyone, especially Sonic Sr. When Sonic Sr was about to return to New Temple in New York City, he collapsed and found himself in a dream void. A mysterious voice (voiced by Martin Jarvis) emitted in his dream, helping Sonic Sr regain his Fire element and showing him a vision of a great tree. After Sonic Sr woke up, an Ape army attacked the old Temple in Los Angeles. Once Sonic Sr allied the U.S. National Guard and L.A.P.D. Officers repelled the attack, Ignitus (voiced by Gary Oldman) tried to locate Cynder, but instead found a vision of Sonic Sr at the base of a great tree. Sonic Sr claimed that he kept seeing haunting visions of a mountain draped in shadow and darkness beneath the two moons. Terrador (also voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) realized that the ruined base is located in Moscow which was destroyed 1 year ago. Sonic Sr also claimed that a voice, called the Chronicler, came to his dream and showed him that tree. The Guardians were shocked, and Ignitus told Sonic Sr that the Chronicler is an ancient dragon of immeasurable wisdom and was often interwoven with tales of doom. The Guardians became increasingly worried about the Celestial Moons coming into an eclipse and felt that they were no longer safe at the Old Temple in L.A.. Ignitus sent Volteer (voiced by Travis Willingham) and Cyril (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) to the Sydney to learn what news they could, and sent Terrador to New York City to warn everyone living there about the darkness spreading in the mountain, while Ignitus stayed behind to search for Cynder before he sent by Ignitus to defend the Earth by confronting his new nemesis, General Jehan Frollo (voiced by Corey Burton), on the late Eggman's flagship. In January 14, 2008 at the Earth's orbit, Frollo then activated the ships defense systems, activating the cannons and bringing forth a horde of Egg Fighters. After seeing the obstacles, Sonic Sr boosted forward and began dodging the batteries fired from the cannons. bounding across the flagship, General Jehan Frollo brought forth with the late Eggman's Mech and unleashed a flurry of machine gun fire. After running across the ceiling while dodging missiles, Sonic Sr ran through the Flagship's hallway. General Jehan Frollo fired his Mech's grappling hook-like arm and grabbed Sonic Sr. After being pulled to Frollo in the Mech's grasp, Sonic Sr summoned the Chaos Emeralds from within himself and became Super Sonic Sr in order to stop him, destroying Frollo's mech, Jenah Frollo fled in old Egg Mobile and fled from his Flagship. After chasing Jehan Frollo through space and destroying half of his fleet, they finally arrived at General Jehan Frollo's Research Facility and knocking Jehan Frollo himself to the ground. As a trap, General Jehan Frollo pretends to plead for mercy. When Sonic Sr is close enough, he activates the Chaos Energy Cannon, which traps Sonic Sr in the center and begins drawing the Chaos energy out of Sonic Sr and the Emeralds in a fashion that is clearly extremely painful for him. After the weapon is charged, Jehan Frollo tried to fire a laser at the City of Tokyo in Earth to wake a monster known as Dark Gaia (voiced by Tony Todd), splitting the planet, but was betrayed and killed by Revolver Ocelot (voiced by Jean-Claude Van Damme). The dark energy of the Emeralds is brought out by the ray, but was destroyed by Ocelot with the Colt Revolver while transforming Sonic Sr into a monstrous version of himself and rendering the Chaos Emeralds gray and powerless. Revolver Ocelot then detonates the space station which Sonic Sr takes the drained Emeralds to the Escape pod which sent into space and down to Planet Earth. While Sonic Sr's escape pod is saved from a fatal landing due to an unknown energy source, he still ends up taking a heavy fall. After pushing the escape pod door of the road in Central London who was found by Sparx, Sonic Sr and Sparx encounters a flying dog-like creature (voiced by Hayden Christensen). Sonic Sr and Sparx then asks the creature what his name was and the creature couldn't remember his own name or history (which Sonic Sr thinks he landed on him with the escape pod after the space station was destroyed by Ocelot, causing the memory loss). Sonic Sr and Sparx agrees to help Chip restore his memory during their journey. After exploring the city of London, Sonic Sr and Sparx names the creature Chip and the three run into Tails (voiced by Dakota Fanning) at night. Tails immediately recognizes Sonic Sr even though he is in his Werehog form and reveals that President Henry Pickle (voiced by Ving Rhames) of Washington, D.C. may be able to help them on their adventure. Once they reach Washington, D.C., they discover kidnapped President Henry Pickle for his knowledge on Dark Gaia. After traveling to Tanzania and freeing him but was mortally wounded by Ocelot and he dies. When Ocelot is trying to escape, but was stopped by Sonic Sr and Ocelot's right arm began to spasm. In that moment, he started to talk like Liquid Snake, taunting his brother. It is revealed that Ocelot received a new arm after Lava Shelter, that of the late Liquid Snake (voiced by Cam Clarke), which caused a change in Revolver Ocelot's demeanor and behavior, with Liquid somehow possessing him. "Liquid" told Sonic Sr that he was "drowning in time" (referring to the accelerated aging process) in which he refused to reffer it, and that Liquid avoided this fate by living on through the transplanted arm. Under Liquid's control, Ocelot escaped from Tanzania to Ruined Tokyo (which known as Eggmanland), Japan with Metal Gear RAY. George W. Bush (voiced by Malcolm McDowell) returns to Washington as the New President of the United States. In Washington, D.C., Sonic Sr, Sparx and Chip run into Amy (voiced by Gabrielle Union) at night and tells her that President Henry Pickle is dead in Tanzania, she doesn't recognize Sonic Sr in his Werehog form. He tells President Geogle W. Bush to set out the seven Gaia Temples to restore the Emeralds and reassemble the planet. He later saves Amy from Dark Gaia's influence and she, upon learning her savior's identity, decides to help Sonic Sr and President George W. Bush. All the while, Revolver Ocelot who allied with the new Russian General Gaul (voiced by David Tennant) makes plans to reassemble Dark Gaia and finish Eggmanland just before the continent restored and the American and Japanese Forces destroys Eggmanland and rebuilt Tokyo. Together he joined Solid Snake (voiced by David Hayter) and Raiden (voiced by Quinton Flynn) to save continents. Meanwhile in South Africa, as Sonic Sr and Solid Snake searches for the tree, he also searches for another dragon known as the Chronicler, who asked Sonic Sr in the same vision to find him. When he finds the tree, it suddenly turns into a tree monster known as Arborick (vocal effects by Bob Bergen) and attacks Sonic Sr. After Arborick is defeated, Sonic Sr travels to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to tell the ghost of Mufasa (voiced by Gary Anthony Williams), later after Sonic Sr speaks to Mufasa, he is captured by pirates for the 1st time, and is taken onboard their ship to take part in gladiatorial combat. After Sonic Sr defeats a third enemy in the arena, he is made to fight Cynder, whom the pirates captured as well. Before they can think of a plan to escape together, the pirate ship is suddenly attacked by the apes, who capture Cynder. After Sonic Sr escapes the ship he discovers that the Apes have established a base on the ruined Russian base in Moscow, in an effort to revive the Dark Master using a lunar alignment called the Night of Eternal Darkness. He also discovers that they are keeping Cynder prisoner hoping to turn her to their side. Sonic eventually finds the Chronicler, who tells him about the Dark Master. According to him, the Dark Master was the first purple dragon; his raw power allowed him to master practically every elemental power. When his growth failed to stop, he was exiled and sealed away by the dragon elders, but not before he taught the Apes how to use dragon magic. The Chronicler wants Sonic Sr to hide from the Dark Master until a later time, but Sonic Sr insists on going to Cynder’s aid. During the restoration of the sixth Chaos Emerald and continent, it's revealed that Chip is in fact Light Gaia, the opposite of Dark Gaia, and he lost his memories because, like Dark Gaia, he was prematurely awakened by Frollo's laser when Frollo started the Time of Awakening before he was betrayed and killed by Revolver Ocelot aka Liquid Ocelot, where Chip and Dark Gaia was meant to awaken, too early; likewise, Dark Gaia has not yet been fully reborn due to his premature awakening, and Sonic Sr and Solid Snake must stop Revolver Ocelot/Liquid Ocelot before Dark Gaia's full powers return to its normal state. At this point, Sonic Sr and Solid Snake travels to the location of the last temple, over which Revolver Ocelot has built Eggmanland using an extraction of Dark Gaia's power. While Sonic Sr and Snake is able to restore the last emerald and defeat Metal Gear RAY, Dark Gaia becomes complete, by draining the dark energy that Sonic Sr had that turned him into Werehog when Revolver Ocelot/Liquid Ocelot with Metal Gear RAY retreats as the Monster keeps the power for itself but not before telling Snake to get back to the surface. Sonic Sr is too weak to move so Chip uses the Gaia Temples to form a body called Gaia Colossus to combat Dark Gaia with, Sonic Sr recovers on the Gaia Colossus and helps Chip fight Dark Gaia. Chip and Sonic Sr hold off the beast, but Dark Gaia manages to drown the planet in darkness, achieving its fully-matured form in the process. Sonic Sr then transforms into Super Sonic Sr using the seven Chaos Emeralds and takes Perfect Dark Gaia down with the help of Gaia Colossus, but the battle leaves him too drained of his energy to escape. As the final continent moves back into place, Chip flings Sonic Sr back onto the surface to Los Angeles but Sonic Sr was captured by Gaul a second time and taken to the ruined Moscow Base in Russia while he remains behind and U.S. Army Forces and J.S.D.F. Armed Forces raided and destroyed Eggmanland and rebuilt the city of Tokyo. After Dark Gaia's defeat and last continent was restored, Gaul (also voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson), the Ape King, orders Cynder to attack Sonic Sr. When she attacks Gaul instead, he knocks her out and challenges Sonic Sr himself. During the fight, the lunar alignment occurs, and the evil energy it generates is channeled through Sonic Sr, which turns Sonic Sr into Dark Sonic Sr. He uses his immense power to turn Gaul to stone then blast his body apart, killing him for a treason against humanity for the attack of Los Angeles, then leaps back into the beam of evil energy. Cynder awakens and knocks Sonic Sr out of the beam, freeing him from the beam's power. When the alignment passes, the ruined base begins to crumble around Sonic Sr, Sparx, and Cynder. Remembering the Chronicler's words about riding out the storm, Sonic Sr uses his powers to encase himself, Cynder, and Sparx in crystal to protect them as the ruined Russian Base collapses. In January 13, 2009 just 1 year after Sonic Sr's encase with Cynder and Sparx, Chip's necklace and some parting words are found on the ground. Tails (who mourned the loss of Sonic Sr, Cynder and Sparx) picks it up and puts on the necklace as a bracelet to remind them of their adventures together. The game ends as Solid Snake arrives to tell Tails get on the vehicle, but he agrees and jumps into the Vehicle, to another adventure and Tails sends Shadow Mk.III (voiced by James C. Mathis III) to overthrow George Sears a.k.a. Solidus Snake, the US EX-President who joined Vamp (also voiced by James C. Mathis III) and Fortune before creating the copy of Sonic Sr, Copy Sonic. In the post-credits scene, the trio are shown in the crystal while someone is watching as the Chronicler says that when Sonic Sr awakens, the world would be different. Development Sonic Team and Radical Entertainment both began development of the game in 2006, after having begun work on the core technology, the Hedgehog Engine, in 2005. The title was first brought to public attention when the Sonic Unleashed name was trademarked by Sega with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Activision (North America), Sierra Entertainment (International) and Konami on March 12, 2008. Screenshots of cut scenes, artwork, and a video were leaked ten days later, with the title then officially confirmed by Sega on April 3, 2008 with a small selection of screenshots and an updated video. The game was developed internally by Sonic Team in Japan as well as Radical Entertainment. It was originally intended to be the third installment of the Sonic Adventure series and subsequently, at an early development stage, had the working title Sonic World Adventure, complete with work-in-progress logo. However, the development team began to introduce enough new innovations to separate it from the Sonic Adventure titles, and so a new title, Sonic Unleashed, was decided upon. It was then later revealed that the game's name in Japan would in fact remain Sonic World Adventure for its release there. Sonic Team and Radical Entertainment both decided early on in the development process to reduce the number of characters present in the game, as well as to make Sonic Sr the only playable character; this decision was taken to get more quality out of fewer characters. While it felt that these ideas combined with traditional Sonic gameplay was a good beginning, it also had to consider how to introduce newer gamers unfamiliar with the Sonic franchise to the series, and so the concept of the Werehog was born, in addition to exploring its own mythology and ideas for the story. Directors Stephen Anderson and Don Hall both felt from the outset that there would be both praise and criticism, but hoped that long-term Sonic fans would understand and empathise with the ideas and direction the team had taken. In terms of technology, Anderson and Hall both remarked that the visual style was born out of desire to see a global illumination solution used for the game's lighting — that is, light reflecting from one object in the scene onto others. To this extent, development on the renderer for this process began, and the final solution allowed the developers to use distributed rendering over hundreds of computers to calculate lighting for each ten- to twenty-kilometer action stage in around two or three days. Characters, enemies and objects are then lit at run-time with Sonic Team's "Light Field" technology to blend them in with the surrounding pre-calculated lighting. Because the game was being developed for two levels of hardware capability depending on the target platform, two development "silos" were set up to work on two separate builds of the game: one for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version utilizing the Hedgehog Engine, and one for the PlayStation 2 and Wii version, which instead utilizes a modified version of an existing, internal Sega engine. Hashimoto, who had never directed a Sonic game before, incorporated new features such as a "Quick Step" mechanic allowing players to dodge obstacles with the L and R triggers. Hashimoto sought to combine the best qualities of 2D and 3D Sonic gameplay and address the criticisms directed at previous 3D entries in the franchise. Additional code to dynamically adjust the speed of the game for different situations was used to properly balance its fast pace with traditional platforming elements. As well as the unique motion-based gameplay mechanics, the Wii version of the game also supports the GameCube controller, and also the option of using the Classic Controller. The daytime levels for the Wii were altered to accommodate the motion control-based drift mechanic, while night-time levels include a mostly behind-the-back view and different platforming styles and combat mechanics. Developer Dimps, who had past involvement in the Sonic franchise, was involved in the design of the daytime areas for these versions. In addition, overall, the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions have fewer daytime levels than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 counterparts. Initially, it was stated that Unleashed was to be intended solely as a single-player experience, and would not offer any multiplayer or online modes. This was cast into doubt when references to online modes were alluded to around E3 2008, but later interviews re-iterated that Unleashed would have no online modes at all. However, downloadable content, including additional levels, would remain a possibility after the game's release. A demo version was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace on December 8, 2008 and on the US and EU PlayStation Stores on December 18 and 24, 2008, respectively. The demo does not contain any of the Werehog stages. On March 12, 2009 Sega released Sonic Unleashed's''s first downloadable content for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, consisting of four Chun-nan daytime stages and two night stages in addition to two new missions. Since then, more downloadable levels have been added: Washington, D.C., Alaska, Tanzania, London, Cairo, New York City and Phillipines. Speaking after the game's release, Sonic Team member Tetsu Katano along with the directors Stephen Anderson and Don Hall remarked that although he did not feel the Werehog concept was a mistake, time and resources were a limiting factor in the game's production. He also remarked that the Werehog may reappear in future games, or possibly in a sequel to ''Sonic Unleashed, should one be made. Game developer Gameloft announced in May 2009 that it had secured a licensing agreement with Sega Europe Ltd. and Vivendi Games Mobile to produce mobile phone versions of Sega and Activision properties, and that its first title would be a version of Sonic Unleashed for mobile phone platforms. It was released in June 2009 in Europe, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. Music The music was primarily composed by Batman Begins and The Dark Knight collaborators Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard with the music arranged by Henry Jackman as well as the additional music composed by Lorne Balfe. The game's soundtrack was released as the album Planetary Pieces: Sonic World Adventure Original Soundtrack by Warner Sunset Reords and Warner Bros. Records in September 27, 2008. Reception Initial anticipation when the first media for Unleashed was revealed was high, as the demonstration videos hinted at a possible return of Sonic Sr to his traditional platforming roots, especially because of the series' declining quality in recent years, and a number of poorly received titles in the franchise that preceded it, such as the 2006 game, Sonic the Hedgehog. Critical reception to Unleashed was mixed, with Metacritic aggregate scores of 60 and 54 out of 100 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions respectively, and 66 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions. The added element of motion controls for the Werehog sections, as well as text-based hub worlds and better Werehog level design and camera system, were reasons cited for the higher review scores for the Wii version of the game, though a few review websites, such as 1UP, gave the Wii version a lower score than its Xbox 360 and PS3 counterparts. Nevertheless, the game was a commercial success and sold 2.45 million units combined making it Sega's third best selling game during their last fiscal year period of 2008. Positive elements of Sonic Unleashed remarked upon by reviews include the environments, such as the "postcard-perfect architecture", and the graphics, with stages looking "absolutely gorgeous" and being "very pretty and lovingly animated", with one reviewer comparing them to a playable Pixar film. Praise was given to the technical competence of Sega's new Hedgehog Engine as a whole on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, with "bright cartoonish graphics that fly by without a stutter"; however, some complaints were raised about frame rate reduction when large numbers of enemies appeared during the Werehog sections. Although the Wii and PlayStation 2 versions do not use the Hedgehog Engine, graphics for these platforms were still praised for their high quality, with the title being nominated for Best Graphics Technology for the Wii by IGN in its 2008 video game awards. The soundtrack to the game was also praised as being an improvement on more recent installments in the series; use of an orchestral score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, rather than rock as in more recent games, was appreciated. A generally negative reaction was given by critics to the Werehog concept and corresponding night-time sections, which contributed greatly to the lower than expected review scores. Some reviewers compared the Werehog sections to God of War. Complaints stemmed from the game's change of speed, from high-speed daytime sections to the slower, night-time sections; the "pace-breaking combat levels" were described as "plodding", as well as "lethargic" and "combat-heavy". Further to the change of pace, the new style of gameplay that accompanies the night-time levels was widely criticized, involving "frustrating" platform elements and combat described as not "terribly interesting" and "boring", with "awkward" action sequences overall. Some reviewers felt that the Werehog as a concept did not mix well with the daylight areas and traditional Sonic gameplay; GamePro's review described them as "dreadfully out-of-place", while IGN stated that they have "nothing to do with Sonic whatsoever", feeling that the Werehog was "being slapped on" to the Sonic experience. In stark contrast to the Werehog sections, many reviewers found the daytime levels to be enjoyable, especially the "exhilarating" sense of speed they provide; with "the most satisfying gameplay of any Sonic title in years", the game "perfectly captures the feel of classic Sonic". Many also enjoyed the mixture of, and transition between, 2D and 3D sections. Indeed, many reviewers remarked that they would have appreciated the game more had it consisted solely of, and expanded upon, the daytime levels. GameSpot's review for the Xbox 360 version, however, argued that the controls were "unresponsive" in the daytime levels, and that most of them were "horribly designed", instead describing the Wii version as a "vastly superior experience", with its daytime levels praised for better control and design. Aside from the criticism of Werehog levels, further aspects of the game were criticised, contributing to the mixed review scores. The quests that players must undertake in hub-towns were described as "inane" and "tedious", where "figuring out what happens next involves aimlessly wandering through towns and speaking to citizens, only to discover that most of them don't know what we're looking for". The story and overall tone of the game, including the new character Chip, were criticised, some remarking that it was too juvenile, or comparable to that of a Saturday morning cartoon. Legacy The game's original soundtrack, entitled Planetary Pieces: Sonic World Adventure Original Soundtrack, was released as a three-disc set in Japan and North America on January 28, 2009. The main theme music for the game is entitled "Endless Possibility", and features Jaret Reddick of the American rock band Bowling for Soup featuring Jesse McCartney. The ending theme music for the game is a slow tempo ballad entitled "Dear My Friend", and features singer Kenny Loggins. Archie Comics has made an adaptation of Sonic Unleashed featuring the opening cutscene and Sonic Sr's transformation into the Werehog. A short 3D animated film was released on November 21, 2008, entitled Sonic: Night of the Werehog, which tells the story of two male ghosts who live in a haunted house taking pictures of scared children in order to woo a female ghost, and their frustration with an unafraid Sonic Sr who enters the house with a very afraid Chip. But soon, it's the ghosts who are afraid when Sonic looks at the full moon and transforms. The film was produced by Sega VE Animation Studio and Activision Blizzard. Notes #Released in PAL regions under the Sierra Entertainment brand name. References External links *Official website Category:2008 video games Category:3D platform games Category:Mobile games Category:PlayStation 2 games Category:PlayStation 3 games Category:Sega video games Category:Sonic Team games Category:Sonic the Hedgehog video games Category:Sega beat 'em ups Category:Wii games Category:Xbox 360 games Category:Shapeshifting in fiction Category:Video games using Havok Category:Video games developed in Japan Category:Lua-scripted video games Category:Amusement parks in fiction Category:Video games scored by Hans Zimmer Category:Video games scored by James Newton Howard Category:Activision games Category:Sierra Entertainment games Category:Radical Entertainment games Category:Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment games Category:Screenplays by David Henry Hwang Category:Screenplays by Joss Whedon Category:Films produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura Category:Films produced by Deborah Snyder Category:Films produced by Kathleen Kennedy Category:Films produced by Frank Marshall Category:Films directed by Michael Bay Category:Films directed by Zack Snyder Category:Screenplays by Ehren Kruger Category:Video games scored by Lorne Balfe